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Poems tagged ‘Ireland’

Australia Nigeria Japan & Spain Through WWC ’23

Crispin Thomas

Monday, July 31st, 2023

~ Canada 0-4 Australia ~

waltzing on they go
bold Matildas find their best
Canada are out

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Ireland 0-0 Nigeria ~

flying safely through
Super Falcons battle on
Ireland win respect

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Japan 4-0 Spain ~

Japan top the group
Spain collapse but still survive
after four goal blitz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Costa Rica 1-3 Zambia ~

in this dead rubber
Zambia impress too late
as both team depart

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Winter Dreams in Sydney ~ WWC ’23

Crispin Thomas

Friday, July 21st, 2023

so this is it – morning in July here
Winter in Sydney now… nine hours ahead
a celebration of the Women’s Game
a record crowd all wrapped in scarves
a waiting stadium excited for the night
what’s not to love?

I remember as a child in London in mid-Summer
just like today I’d be out in the garden with a trowel
five or six years old maybe
convinced by my grandmother sat on the wooden bench
that I could a dig a hole to Australia..
and I tried and tried until a friend told me it was impossible
early dreams dashed

I wonder what those brave women thought
playing football together in breaks at munitions factories
during and just after World War One
dreaming of a future in the game
Lily Parr was one of them – feisty and fiery – a fag on her lip
turning out in front of massive curious crowds
for Dick Kerr’s Ladies while the blokes were at the front

their hopes and dreams just like mine
suddenly wiped out
the women’s game banned for fifty years in’21
by a sexist dumb FA who ‘claimed it’ un-safe
and a ‘potential’ danger to childbirth
the mind boggles

but here we are a century on
as the Matildas take on Ireland
different dreams for us and them
who will emerge victorious?
how far have we come?
it’s been a battle a long long journey
and still so much to do

but this is it – morning in July here
Winter in Sydney now… nine hours ahead
a celebration of the Women’s Game
a record crowd all wrapped in scarves
a waiting stadium excited for the night
what’s not to love?

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Big Jack Charlton – 1935-2020

Emdad Rahman

Saturday, July 11th, 2020

Hard nosed and rock solid stopper
Ashington lad who never give up
A rock beside Bobby Moore
When England won the World Cup

With the greatest Eire team of all
Euro 88, Italia 90
USA 94, Jack, the folk hero
Both sides of the Irish sea

With Leeds a one club man
League, FA Cup, a good craic
An entire career at Elland Road
Goodbye, farewell big Jack

11 07 20

number7
© emdad rahman

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They Stole Our Rice

John J O’Connor

Monday, September 24th, 2018

I witnessed a commotion in my local saloon
With an Irish fan ranting and acting the loon
“They stole our potatoes
now they’re after our Rice.”
He was so agitated he screamed it out twice.
“They took our potatoes
now they’re taking our Rice
I always knew Southgate
acted way too much nice.”

I soon came to realise it weren’t Rice from Vietnam
But young Declan Rice
who plays for West Ham
Southgate got young Declan to talk on the phone
And played him the song
Foot—ball’s Coming Home.
He told him he was the greatest
Young player he had seen
Who’d look better in white
Than wearing the Green.
“You’ll get plenty of endorsements
I’ll make you a star
And you’ll be in my squad
When we go to Qatar.”

So as the Irish fan by bouncers
Was thrown out of the pub
He still screamed of Rice
And the stealing of Spuds.
So who Declan will choose
It remains to be seen
The Three Lions of England
Or the boys in the Green.

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Source: http://footballpoets.org/news/poem-tags/ireland/